Attack from Space
| Attack from Space | |
|---|---|
|
Alpha Video DVD cover art | |
| Directed by | Teruo Ishii |
| Produced by | Mitsugi Okura |
| Written by | Ichiro Miyagawa |
| Starring | Ken Utsui |
| Distributed by | Walter Manley Enterprises Inc. |
Release dates | 1964 |
Running time | 76 min. (USA) |
| Language | English (dubbed) |
Attack from Space is a 1964 film edited together for American television from the 1957 films #5 and #6 of the Japanese short film series Super Giant. It is in the public domain.[1]
Plot
The superhero Starman is sent by the Emerald Planet to protect Earth from belligerent aliens from the Sapphire Galaxy. The Sapphireans (or "Spherions") kidnap Dr. Yamanaka and force him to use his spaceship against the Earth.
American adaptation
The nine Super Giant films were purchased for distribution to U.S. television and were edited into four films and cheaply dubbed by Walter Manley Enterprises for syndication by Medallion Films. The two original Japanese films that composed Attack from Space (The Artificial Satellite and the Destruction of Humanity and The Spaceship and the Clash of the Artificial Satellite) were each 39 minutes in duration. The two films were edited into one 76-minute film, resulting in only two lost minutes in the combined edit, probably consisting mostly of cast and credits. As a result, this compilation suffered least among the Super Giant films in its adaptation for American television, except in terms of cast and credits. Although Riichiro Manabe composed the music to the original two films, most of the original music was replaced by library tracks in the American adaptation which were then credited to Chumei Watanabe. Additionally, the screen cast, which was identical to the one used for "Atomic Rulers", includes names of performers not appearing in the film, and omits those of some performers who did.
DVD releases
Attack from Space is currently available on two DVD releases. Something Weird Video with Image Entertainment released this film and the other compiled Starman film, Evil Brain from Outer Space on a single disc on December 10, 2002. Alpha Video also released a budget-priced disc of Attack from Space by itself on March 23, 2004.
In other media
- The movie is featured in the second episode of the Ed the Sock series This Movie Sucks! with commentary making fun of the movie by Ed, Liana Kerzner and Ron Sparks.
- Some quotes from this film can be heard in the song The bomb, by Volkor X in his album This means war.
- The movie was riffed on Rifftrax.
See also
References
Sources
- Ragone, August. The Original 'Starman': The Forgotten Supergiant of Steel Who Fought for Peace, Justice and the Japanese Way Originally published in Planet X Magazine, included in Something Weird Video's DVD release.
External links
- Attack from Space at the Internet Movie Database
- Attack from Space is available for free download at the Internet Archive
- Attack From Space at Monster Shack Movie Reviews